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Shock Absorber Diameter - Why buy the bigger ones?
birt - 18/10/05 at 07:27 PM

Can anyone clear this up for me..

It is normal to use either shocks made for 1.9" diameter springs or shocks made for 2.25" diameter springs. Most companies (AVO, Spax, etc) make shocks to suit both.

My question is what is the difference? And more specifically, why would anybody buy the larger, more expensive, heavier units over the smaller ones???

Cooling maybe?

flak monkey - 18/10/05 at 07:42 PM

Not sure. But i dont see any reason why 1.9" ones wouldnt be more than enough on a locost considering how light they are....

Someone wil probably come up with a reason why not though....

desyboy - 18/10/05 at 08:42 PM

2 1/4 springs normally fit modified suspension legs like ford struts

andygtt - 18/10/05 at 08:50 PM

I think there are more spring rates easily available for the the 2.25.... although probably not an issue for light cars like ours.

steve_gus - 18/10/05 at 09:35 PM

there is, as the last poster said, a much bigger range of springs, and they go to higher ratings - the smaller sizes ends at about 400lbs - which should be ok ofr a locost!

atb

steve

NS Dev - 19/10/05 at 11:55 AM

quote:
Originally posted by andygtt
I think there are more spring rates easily available for the the 2.25.... although probably not an issue for light cars like ours.


exactly the reason I am using 2.25" coil overs, I allready have heaps of 2.25" springs, the shockers cost no more and they are alloy protech ones sobloody light anyway.

If the damper body is bigger there will also be more oil in it so postponing damper fade for longer too.

(though a lot of manufacturers use only one body size and just fit different platforms to it)

[Edited on 19/10/05 by NS Dev]

britishtrident - 19/10/05 at 03:13 PM

Because of torsional stress-strain considerations 1.9 ID springs are more likely to suffer from sag and fatgue than a 2.25" ID of the same rate.


A Coil spring is really just a torsion bar in the form of a helix -- a 1.9" spring has a short effective length of bar in torsion than a 2.25"



[Edited on 19/10/05 by britishtrident]